Chick brooder



1,616,762 i L. A. SAUER CHICK BROODER Origmai Filed Jan. 10, 1922INVENTOR. Low/LEW) ATTORNEY duce a simple and inexpensive device. and

Patented Feb. 8, 1 927.

UNITED-STATES.

ouis A. SAU'ER, or wILLows, cnmronma.

CHICK BROODER. 1

Application filed Jannarydo, 1922, Serial No. 528,199. Renewediliigiist'9,1926;

This invention relates to improvements: in brooders for chicks andsimilar small fowl or animals the prlncipal objects of the. 1n-

vention being to provide a brooder in which a large or small flock ofchicks may be dis tributed into small groups; the chicks are preventedfrom crowding andpiling on each Y other, thereby preventing smotheringof the chicks; the chicks are always supplied with fresh air; sanitaryconditions are excellent; labor and care are-reduced to a minimum,andthe-chicks may be seen atall times.

A further object is-to. provide means whereby the chicks willautomatically learn I to roost. v Another object is to. provide meansfor heating the brooder which while very efficient will be veryeconomical of heat.

Still another object is to constructthe' brooder in such away that itmay form a portable unit, which maybe set'in a horizontal position or atany desired incline.

' Another object is to construct theIbrooder so that it is adjustableand adaptablefor different conditions, and may be used with or withoutheat, and with which, if intended to be heated, a minimum of damage willbe wrought in the case of an accident to the.

heating means. a 2 j c. 1

A further object ofthe lnvention is toproyet one which will beexceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

-Inthe drawings similar characters of ref-.

erence indicate c rrespOndingpartS in .the several views. I 4

Fig. 1 isa side view of myflimproved the entrance runway'removed.

set in a building and on an incline, showing a roost inCOIlIlBCtlOIltllGIGWlth.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic planviewof one" former design'ofa heatradiating system.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of another form. Referring nowmorefparticularly to the characters of reference on the draw1ngs,the

being also adjustable vertically, so'as to'conserve heat and aid; inventilating.

numeraljl' denotes a plurality of spaced and therewithand extending fromtop to bottom ofthe' brooder space,and thereby dividing q the .same-fnto 2 two longitudinal. compart-fl ments; I

Extendingbetween and removablymount ed onthe' frames .or walls 1 arewindow 1 members 3, beneath which, :and' spaced suffi- 'cientlytherefrom to leave an, air-space, are

removable screen. ceiling members, which preferably rest on verticallyadjustable. cleats or supporting blocks 5.,

l 3elow. the ceiling 4: a (1181331108 sufficient to provi'dena broodingspace therebetween are verticallyfadjustable and removable screenedfloor members 6located between the top and bottom ofthe walls 1, theside-edge frames 7 of whi'clrfloor are above the; same, as shown inFig.2, while the end frame members 8 are therebelow, as shown in Fig. 1,in order that there will be no obstructions for the lpassagefo'f the"chicks into the brooding space from theentranceeway 9 to thecompartalteration in depth of the brooding spaces.

The'fioors 6 may of course be placed level ther structural features, Iprefer to raise the same somewhat, and to place inclined run-1 ways 10leading-to the entrances,which may if desired be normally closed by veryflexible and easily moved flaps or curtains 11.

A suitable distance under-the floors are slidably mounted droppings pans"12, which makes the labor ofkeeping the brooder clean" and sanitary, avery lighttask, these pans To provide vheat for"the-brooder, many I andvariousways are capable of being used.

For instance as shown in Fig. 3, one or more a a transverse pipes orheat leads 13 maypass 100 Fig. 3 isa top plan vlewof a single broodercompartment, partly broken away.

Fig. 4 is alongitudinal section of a'brooder under the'floorsG and abovethe pans at I stated intervals, thus providing the greatest;

heat at certain specific points.

' To gain a more even distribution of the heat,a number of heatradiators formed as 105 at 14in Fig. 6 or asat15 in Fig. 7 maybeemployed, as well as others of any shape or'styleg desired, as forinstance a stove or any other heat providing means. I w p The'abov'eforms however are included 1 ments at each end, and to permit ofan eve jfio j and shown for purpose of illustration principally, aswlwislrit understoo'd th'at I do not Wish to confine myself to anyparticular kind of heat, Whether steam, hot air, electrical, orotherwise; and anry heat providing or radiating means used may be placedanywhere desired, or may be of a form taken from some other brooderdesigned such as to compel or instinctive-1y-cuuse thechicks tovseparate ortorm int o small groups.

lgroteetiirg plates or tl efiectorsit3 may be placed ahbvethe' heatpipes or other members between: the sanie 'and th'e flobr on" which thechieks'" stand; both" to protect the pipes from the droppings and thechicks? feet;

di ors, .6 a

' Byj conipel-lingthe' chicks to separate into small greups; as abovestated," it is "possible Without "any partitions; and thus all S's-parating ens when so" desired" maybe dispensed" with.

By installing the proper kind of heat equipiiueiit to f suit breedinifconditions and with regard to" the kind for heat used, the degree ofheat may be regulatedjin each-pen,- asl yell/as at" anyplace in a pen"o'rfcompa rtinent;' or the heat may be shut off en may; For instance,when the atmosphere is warm enough; heat maybe dispensed with in theentire brooder; and'theyvindoivs and upper ceiling screen maybdth beremoved:

Oiyif conditions andthe loicatioii'ot'the" breeder perinit, $011 16 heatmay. be passedto the lirooding spaces by reason ofthe WindoW-s, yyliicliconcentrate anylieat from the SunsrayS; in the manner of a planthotlioiise'."

justaldle; may be positioned to jiist'clear the b'acks ot the cliicks'so that'they cannot pile up on top of each 'otherr asthey usually showan iii"clina' ti'on to do,- aiitl which results in a certain number oftheniibeing sin tithered" death, being. ungdile to get fresh air:brooder positively'prevents this; not alone on account of the-limitedyeitical height of the-brooding spa-Ce,- but by reason 'ot the floorbeingot screeiiwhich permits the passage of air therethrough and alldtvsthe chicks to breathe. 7

While I have specified screen for the variousirieirib'ers; I do not wishto' liinit myself the material usually designated as -'sucli, since anyopen-Work 1i1ater1al;-suitable for the-purpose and. allowing the passageof air therethrough, maybe used; p

Fiom emitter-(111mg; or when the chicks are aboutjthree weeks old,' theentirehrooder; or thatportion abd-v'e the heating means;

be set at an z'i igg'gle; as shown at 16 in I '4,'- the"-heatirig pipes13 being arranged thereunder as'betore. The chicks usingt'her bioodei"in this form; enter: a-t the loyvereiid,

teason oi? the screen-Zceil ing being ad simmering amete Clea-elf, sincethe pile will collapse and the chicks roll back free dfeacli other assooiras the pile reaches acertain-- height' or angle.

It the brooder should be set at such an angle as tdpreven't thereadytr'avel otthe chicks up the same, cross cleats, as shew 18 in Fig4, may be placed stews-it fioor 6, to giye 'thechicks' additional hold,

It'is to be understood-that WhilefI have shown the -brooder moun'tedFin'a building with one end opening to the exteriorthereoit (see Figflt),the broo'der may be placed iii the center or any place on a floor. Also"suitable openings may beprovided through the top of the brooder orelsewhere; to allow" for feeding of the chicks; which maya'lsd be usedtor entrance toand exit hem the roosts;

The b'rodder can also" be iria'de o'r built' directly intoa suitablebuilding, or madeto a small portable outbe a corporate'p'art of house,it desired.

It is tote understood that While I hateshownan'cl describedbertainspecific forms" const'r'uction; suclr formsand arrangements; both as tothesize and arrangements in and number of pens or compartments, and theshape or style or walls; screens, plat the' breeder, so that; latter; bymaking any necessary alterations, may be used for other creaturesbesides chicks: I

For instance, the pervieu'sfloor' and c'eilin'g. may be used toadvantage brooding purposes independent ofthe rest ofthede scribedstructure, and collectively'orsingly and With or Without heating meansEither the flat or inclined forririrlay thus.

Then'agaiin' the 'use otthe "p'ervi'ou's ceil ing in the brooderisnot-necessaryunder cer taiirconditions, the brooding' spacebeingthen-adjusted for height by'means o t moving;

the roof or window up or down; whichtmem- 105 forms, aisles, heatingmean-s etc may be altered sewn-11mm diiieirentconditions; and the kindof fowl or animals toin'liz'i-bit bermay hav'e double glass; Alsoitheuseiofthis ceiling depends on rthe growth and vitality of the chicks-,5and; upon the means and man-nerrot supplying the heat.

Also, While I have shownthe principle of segregating the chicks by meansof=,l1eat: distribution; in a brbode-r; this. principle maybe carriedout for brooding purposes in any I building and apart from a brooder,thus cutting down on the cost of construction.

It is also to be understood that the distance between the various heatleads orunits will be varied according to the kind of heat used.

The greater the concentration of heat, thev closer may the leads be,thus causing the segregation of the chicks into very small batches. Theheat leads may be parallel, or

intersecting, and need not all be on the same horizontal plane, and theymay be actually in the brooding space or'above if desired.

While the droppings pans 12 arepreferably used, the fioorof the buildingmaybe used instead in order to cheapen the construction, though ofcourse this arrangement is not so convenient.

I also wish it to be noted'that I believe my method of heating a brooderhas several advantages over-any meansnow employed for this purpose. Inthe first place, piping, etc., is saved, next, the chicks are segregatedin the proper manner, which is in small batch-es; third, mostof the heatis supplied 011 the outside of each batch, which thus pre-. vents theoutside chicksof a batch from crowding and smothering the center ones,and they merely lean against each other as against a mother hen, whichis natural; and

finally the chicks, should they come in to the brooder from the cold,may get warmed quickly by reason of the greater heat provided at thecertain points.

From the foregoing description it Will be readily seen that I haveproduced sucha device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations,

from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from thespirit of themvention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my inventioIn-what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A brooder including a the chicks, and'a roosting means at the upper"end of said floor and having communication therewith.

' 2. A brooder including enclosing walls,

fioor andceiling members, said members being'arranged to form a completeunit where--.

by the structure may be set atan angle, and

an entrance passageway leading to the floor at its lower end and with asimilar passageway at'its upper end leading to the roost.

. 3. A brooder including floor and ceiling may be set at an angle, androost means arranged at the upper end of the brooder and communicatingwith the floor.

4. In a brooder, a floor pervious to air, and

a heating means thereunder arranged to concentrate the heatat spacedpomts in the area of the floor, said floor-and heating means beingvertically adjustable relative, to each other. -f

5. In a brooder, a foraminous floor, and a removable droppings pan underthe floor floor setat an angle, and forming the broodingv place forroost means arranged at the upper end of the brooder, the latter beingprovided with :members, said members being'arranged to form a completeunit whereby the Structure to supply heat to the chicks on the floor andto dry any droppings on the pan.

In testimony whereof I affix my'signature.

' LOUIS A.'SAUERQ

